This invention relates to the discovery and asexual propagation of a new and distinct variety of plum, Prunus salicina cv. ‘Suplumfortyeight’. The new variety was first originated by hybridization in September 2005 by Terry A. Bacon as breeder number ‘PL624YY’.
The new variety ‘Suplumfortyeight’ is characterized by late-season harvest and by fruit having a pure yellow skin and a cling stone. The fruit is high in sugar and has medium-low acidity. The fruit of the new variety ‘Suplumfortyeight’ is also abundant in juice and has a sweet-neutral flavor.
The seed parent is ‘Suplumfourteen’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,342), and the pollen parent is unknown (bulk pollen). The parent varieties were first crossed in February 2002, with the date of first sowing being February 2003, and the date of first flowering being February 2005. The new plum variety ‘Suplumfortyeight’ was first asexually propagated by Terry Bacon near Wasco, Kern County, Calif. in January 2007 by grafting.
The new variety ‘Suplumfortyeight’ is distinguished from its seed parent ‘Suplumfourteen’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,342) by having fruit with a yellow skin compared to the red skin of the fruit of ‘Suplumfourteen’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,342).
The harvest of the new variety ‘Suplumfortyeight’ starts about 5 days before the harvest of ‘Suplumsix’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,747). The fruit of the new variety ‘Suplumfortyeight’ has a yellow skin color compared to the reddish-black skin of the fruit of ‘Suplumsix’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,747). The skin color of the fruit of the new variety ‘Suplumfortyeight’ is somewhat similar to the skin color of the fruit of ‘Flavor Queen’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,420), but the skin color of the fruit of the new variety ‘Suplumfortyeight’ is nearly pure yellow compared to the green-yellow color of the fruit of ‘Flavor Queen’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,420). In addition, the harvest of the fruit of the new variety ‘Suplumfortyeight’ starts about 27 days later than ‘Flavor Queen’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,420).
The new variety ‘Suplumfortyeight’ has been shown to maintain its distinguishing characteristics through successive asexual propagations by, for example, grafting.